Tag: Poster

Stanley Radwan was a catch-wrestler and strongman who performed during the 1940’s and 50’s in the Cleveland, Ohio area. This event poster from 1949 advertises Radwan pulling cars with his teeth, biting through steel, breaking chains, bending horseshoes, bend nails and spikes, nail driving by hand, tearing decks of cards, and performing the human chain feat. It was said Radwan could also bend coins with his hands. As a side note, St. Josaphat’s Hall is still around, it was converted to an art gallery a few years ago.

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If you are interested in true “Oldtime” feats of strength, then late-19th century France was the place to be. Whether at a night club, concert, or street fair if there was a crowd present, it was an opportunity for a strongman to showcase his talents.

This extremely rare poster, dating from 1876 highlights, Bazin, The Cannon Man, whose act must have been a sight to see. Sure he lifted and juggled heavy weights etc… but notice that not only is Msr. Bazin pictured firing a cannon from his shoulder but walking with strapped to his feet as well! Bazin was also a wrestler, and, ironically enough, defeated by English champion Tom Cannon.

The Rasso Trio were a group of performing strongmen started by the German strongman George Stanglemeier. The original trio also included Heinrich Weber and Godfrey Nordmann, though many other members came and went over the years. As shown in this extremely rare poster, the trio’s act consisted of lifting, juggling and carrying globe barbells, block weights and each other! The Rasso Trio performed at the Casino de Paris throughout the 1890’s and in that time, had a famous run-in with the great French strongman Apollon, which we’ll cover at another date.

John Robinson’s challenge was whether
any man could equal or better any one of Cyr’s feats… With numbers like a backlift of 4300 pounds and a one-arm Jerk of 254 pounds, needless to say, the
money was very safe.